Need someone to better explain the reality of Warranties /after-sales repairs. A torch I want is ‘high-end’ on the price scale and hence a discount is sought.
Banggood when asked about ‘after sales’ said “you have three days warranty from date of receiving item”. Nothing else is offered. My experience with Banggood in the past is they are a good business and very nice to deal with.
GearBest offer even a few more dollars off plus 30 days returns plus 360 days repairs. Against Gearbest is I have read several threads and posts on-line complaining about them.
Would appreciate some members chipping in with comments plz.
Just to start this off, it’s kind-of hard to understand what you’re asking.
If you’re thinking of ordering a product then trying to get a refund, only if it is truly DOA will that be tolerated by anyone, on either side of the table. It’s an honor “thing”… For function testing, you don’t even really need a whole day.
OTOH, if you’re worried something might fail in a month or six, and want to be assured someone will repair it, that’s not really how this game is played anymore. It’s not logistically feasible to ship a flashlight back into the central Highlands of China to get a wire soldered back on or a blown emitter replaced. Dittos for “buyer’s remorse” or any “this or that isn’t absolutely perfect just the way I dreamed it would be” issues.
Having said that, this Forum is packed to the rafters with people who would be happy to help you keep your eyeball burner fit, happy and running well! Most/many of us would even do the work for you (if you cover parts & shipping cost), just to have a chance to check out a new torch.
The reality of modern manufacturing is, if it works when you first get it, it’s probably going to keep working for a long, long time. And the low prices we love depend on the Economy of Scale, so there’s not much customization available at the point of sale. Enter “modding”, a wonderful hobby at least, a means of funding our wonderful hobby for some.
So, what were you thinking about, in terms of Warranty? I’m assuming you’ve already Googled the specific torch you’re considering; for buyer reviews and feedback?
Well just think of warranty as non existing.
A DOA is something else but as said above, when it works it usually keeps on working and if it fails you are the one doing the repairs.
Sometimes you can get partial refund. I had a charger fail on me after a month and Gearbest refunded half.
The reality is that with online sales from China, your only reliable protection of any kind is with Paypal or with AliExpress similar in-house system. Amazon is also good with that. Otherwise you have to rely on good sellers of which there are only a handful who have near-universal respect here on BLF. If you buy directly from the manufacturer you’ll probably get good warranty service if you need it.
What you don’t want to count on are the Chinese mega-stores you’ve mentioned or others like them. At best their after-sales service is erratic, uncertain, and a real pain to go through. At worst (which is more common) you’ll get at least partially ripped-off.
The bottom line: If you want good service you’re going to have to pay extra to get it. Or you can take a chance with a cheaper seller hoping that you wont need it. It’s your money and your choice.
do you mean, someone like nitecore offering a 5 year warranty, or armytek 10 year?
are you asking if you buy the armytek from Andrew and Amanda say, do you have the warranty, the same as if you bought armytek direct, Is that what you meant?
That wasn’t the case with me and Fenix. Just getting them to send a replacement switch under warranty (I am an excellent troubleshooter & had photographic proof that a simple PB switch was all I needed) took weeks of near-shouting E-mails and escalation and all the things that you’d never expect to have to do over a $50 1xAA dim-ass flashlight, including an offer to buy a replacement switch outright. FastTech, even with their standard ‘is it really “in stock” when I order it’ confusion, has been vastly easier to deal with.
To be fair to Fenix, the experience kicked my butt straight into the middle of “DIY-ville”, and I’ve never looked back. I will only buy a “Name Brand” torch now if the features are exactly what I want and the price is less than what I can build for myself. That’s actually a Good Thing in my book.
SWMBO says: “The key to Increased Happiness is Lowered Expectations.”
I’ve purchased several torches from Gearbest, Amazon,BANGGOOD. No DOA’s all working great. I’m due for a dud soon! Hope it isn’t the DVR I ordered from the fine folks at Gearbest! I must be crazy……
